I was just thinking about this the other day when I was waiting at the fax machine for a B/C agreement.
Most of the time it goes smoothly but every now and then you'll get the situation where the fax won't come so you have to call back and ask if they've sent it, then they'll send it again and you'll sign it and send it back, then you have to make sure they got it, sometimes they haven't and you have to try again. I can't tell you how many times I've sent a fax and it just "didn't go through." I guess I just find it strange that, in an age that is pretty much defined by its love of communication, we're still stuck sending documents with an antiquated technology that's slow and unreliable at best.
Anyways that's a big one for me. Anybody have similar gripes? In a perfect world, what would you change?
Brokers: what technology (or lack thereof) frustrates you the most?
Discussion in 'Freight Broker Forum' started by OttoHapsburg, Aug 19, 2014.
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not to interrupt your thread. but maybe you need to get with the times. and leave the antiquated technology behind.
have laptop, printer/scanner, cell phone with internet hotspot, and there are tons of internet faxing programs. WITHOUT the use of the ancient landline system. as long as you have cell phone signal, you have internet and send/receive faxes from your truck. anywhere in the country.
but if you too cheap to subscribe to one of them cheap internet faxing services. email always works too.
save yourself the hassle, and the money you spend. $8.99 per month will get you 700 pages per month.OttoHapsburg Thanks this. -
You get a confirmation on the machine or through a printed receipt that the fax went through -- that is the benefit of faxing. Its like Postal service delivery confirmation -- you only get the "successful transmission" message if your fax machine talked to a receiving fax machine and both machines confirmed the same number of pages. If you got a "successful transmission" message and the other party claims it didn't go through -- well, lets just say that's as reliable as "the check's in the mail."
Email doesn't offer a similar receipt unless both you and the receiver happen to use the same email service. -
Use an internet fax service. I signed up for one but don't use it anymore. Email is just easier and I've never had a problem.
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double yellow Thanks this.
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As a trucker: I've found some technology that helps. Smartphone app called Turboscan. Take picture with that app, turn pic into JPEG or PDF file to directly email. No longer need a scanner
silver dollar Thanks this. -
Bidding programs. Most shippers have their own software and ways of handling the bidding / tiered systems. Getting a call from a good driver asking for a load and then having to wait 2 hours to get your bid approved only to find out that the truck is no longer available is a struggle I know alot of brokers deal with regularly. In a perfect world, as you say, I would get every load I want for tons of money and both myself and my drivers will be very happy. Too bad reality is nothing close to this and both parties are often unhappy with what they're making on a load.
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